Family

Code 4

Code 6

ITIS

ILLUSTRATION

PHOTOS

CONSERVATION STATUS

The Chipping Sparrow is rated as Least Concern. This bird has a range of up to 13 million square kilometers. The population of the Chipping Sparrow is estimated to be nearing 1 billion individual birds. This bird is native to Canada as well as Mexico and portions of Central America. Due to the extremely large population of the Chipping Sparrow there is not any immediate concern that this bird would face danger regarding decimation of its population.

Range and Habitat

Chipping Sparrow: Breeds throughout most of the continent from Alaska, Manitoba, and Newfoundland south to California, Texas, northern Florida, and Mexico. Spends winters across southern U.S. southward into Mexico. Preferred habitats include grassy woodland edges, gardens, city parks, brushy pastures, and lawns.

Chipping Sparrow SONGS AND CALLS

Chipping Sparrow A1

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Rapid "tsi" calls.

Chipping Sparrow B1

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Song is a thin musical trill, all on one pitch.

Similar Sounding

Dark-eyed Junco E2

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Song is a musical trill, all on one pitch ("Oregon" group).

Orange-crowned Warbler A1

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Typical song is a high-pitched trill, usually ending on a falling or rising note.

Voice Text

"chip--chip-chip-chip-chip"

INTERESTING FACTS

During the breeding season, the female develops a bare patch on her abdomen that fills with fluid. This allows more efficient transfer of heat to the eggs.

The head pattern of the Chipping Sparrow changes in fall and winter.

Their nest is so flimsy that light can be seen through it.

A group of Chipping Sparrows are collectively known as a "tournament" of sparrows.

SIMILAR BIRDS

RANGE MAP NORTH AMERICA

About this North America Map

This map shows how this species is distributed across North America.

FAMILY DESCRIPTION

New World Sparrows and Towhees (Passerellidae)

ORDER

Most of the small birds such as the finches, wood-warblers, and sparrows are members of the one hundred and forty-two families found in the largest taxonomic order of birds; the PASSERIFORMES (pronounced pas-ser-i-FOR-meez).

FAMILY TAXONOMY

The New World Sparrows and related birds are placed in the passerellidae (pronounced pass-ur-EL-ih-dee), a group of one hundred and thirty species in twenty-six genera only found in the New World.

NORTH AMERICA

Eighty-two species of New World Sparrows and Towhees in twenty-six genera are found in North America.

KNOWN FOR

Members of this family are known for their terrestrial behavior, cheery songs, and in the case of sparrows, challenges to their identification due to similarities in appearance of several species. Dark-eyed Juncos and various other species are also well known visitors to feeders during the winter months.

PHYSICAL

Members of the passerellidae are small, plump birds with short, finch-like bills adapted to cracking open seeds. Their wings are generally short and their tails and legs average in length.

COLORATION

In general, bright colors are not a hallmark of this family although some species do show patches of bright orange and red-brown. Brown, white, and gray plumages with streaked and spotted patterns are commonplace for the primarily dull colored sparrows. However there are exceptions, such as the boldly patterned plumages of black, white, and tan plumages displayed by the juncos, and the vibrant black and burnt orange of the towhees.

GEOGRAPHIC HABITAT

At least one species of passerellidae can be found in most every habitat in North America. Most species are birds of weedy fields, scrub, second growth, and non-forest habitats such as desert, grassland, and marsh. The few species adapted to woodlands frequent the thick undergrowth at forest openings and edges.

MIGRATION

Like other short distance migrants, most members of this family migrate later in fall, earlier in spring, and often show up at feeders during the winter. Some species, such as the Fox Sparrow, practice "leap frog" migration with more northerly populations migrating further south in the winter.

HABITS

Outside of the breeding season, sparrows and other members of this family flock together for protection from predators. All are generally terrestrial birds that forage on the ground for seeds and arthropods.

CONSERVATION

Members of this family are for the most part common birds with plenty of available habitat. Passerellidae species that have declined and are endangered in many parts of their range are those that require grasslands, such as the Grasshopper and Henslow's Sparrows, and one species, the Bachman's Sparrow, which requires open pine forests with a grassy understory.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Worthen's Sparrow is an enigmatic species historically recorded in the southwestern United States. Rare, little known, and difficult to find in its known Mexican range, this species may be more adapted to grassland habitats that have disappeared or been drastically altered since European settlement. One of the most commonly seen sparrows in the United States, the House Sparrow, is not a member of this family and, as an imported species, is actually more closely related to African weaver finches and European sparrows than North American sparrows.